Central West show organisers remain optimistic their respective events will go ahead as planned this year amid news a swarm of communities farther afield face a second consecutive year without a country show.
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Logistical constraints brought on by coronavirus concerns have led to a number of regional shows scheduled in January and February to be cancelled or postponed, with more than 20 events reportedly impacted across the state.
Albeit largely in areas more heavily impacted than the Central West, last week the Rylstone-Kandos Show Society made the decision to cancel its event based on feedback recieved from the committee, members and the wider community.
That event was marked down for the last weekend of February, but time remains on the side of organisers of autumnal shows like Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo and so they'll push ahead with planning, adopting a hopeful, 'wait and see' approach in the process.
All three cities' shows, along with countless more in the region and beyond, were cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, while over a dozen more were called off due to the bushfires ravaging the state prior to that.
"We're still full steam ahead and I know a lot of other areas around us are as well," Brett Kenworthy, Bathurst Agricultural, Horticultural and Pastoral [AHP] Association executive secretary, said.
"With the situation how it is right now there obviously has to be some level of concern but the shows that have been cancelled are mainly the summer shows while ours is in autumn, so we have time to be able to wait and see what happens.
"I think that's the approach for everyone at the moment."
Orange Show Society president Peter Naylor and Dubbo Show Society secretary Sue Hood confirmed a similar approach, with the former highlighting the Sydney Royal Easter Show as an indicator too.
We're still full steam ahead and I know a lot of other areas around us are as well.
- Brett Kenworthy, Bathurst Agricultural, Horticultural and Pastoral Association executive secretary
The Sydney Royal Easter Show is scheduled for early April, before the Royal Bathurst Show (April 30-May 2), the Orange Show (May 8-9) and the Dubbo Show (May 14-16).
"Last year we made the decision to cancel our event about a month out, so once we get to that time of year the Sydney Royal Easter Show will be a good gauge for us but there's no major concerns right now," Mr Naylor said.
"We're looking forward, we're not looking back and we're not looking at maybe," Mrs Hood said last week.
Shows in the region's smaller centres are still scheduled to go ahead as planned too, among them Mudgee (March 5-7, livestock event only), Blayney (March 6), Lithgow (March 19-20), Yeoval (May 4) and Wellington (May 8).
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